Ragnarok
by TetsuoTsubushi
Summary: [WA3] AU. Jet's past as both a Filgaia Sample and a friend catches up to him as he returns to the town of Jolly Roger. The day of the final battle will come. Two friends long seperated will meet just once more placing what is 'good' and 'evil' against one
1. Chapter 1

The people of Filgaia had a broad idea on how their universe would come to an end. It was said that one day, a giant rooster would crow, echoing it's voice throughout all nine of the worlds connected by Yggdrasil, the ash tree that bound all nine worlds together and supported the inhabitants of each. The demons, who have lived plotting their revenge on the guardians who defeated them long ago, will rise up under the leadership of Loki, a demon who looked human who lived among the guardians up until the point when he was punished for killing the guardian named Balder.

At this moment the two forces, the guardians and the demons, will come together and wage battle upon the legendary battlefield that they first fought years and years ago. In this final and bloody battle that is entitled Ragnarok all are destined to perish and the worlds will be destroyed leaving none behind.

Chapter One 

It all began with a simple story read by them years before. From the young age in which a young boy can first read, and until the last time this one particular book was read. During this time the book was ever present in the lives of two young boys. However, now it sat in the earth covered in ten years worth of accumulated dirt. The pages since browning, as the illustrations faded in colour. The binding that held the worn pages together having since loosened as the words that once captivated minds in bold black became an illegible gray. The story that the book told had been lost, making it worthless, but the story had not left Filgaia. It was still available in the minds of two young men.

Yes, the two boys who had lived off of this book at one time. Two friends who were as tightly bounded as the book that brought them together. A book that had many tales aside from the one that had been written within it. The many adventures these two boys had shared was imprinted into the book's cover, even though the rest of it's story has faded.

Why though, was such an important item, such a sacred item, left to be covered over by ten years worth of sand?

"Jet!" Shouted a young woman's voice. It rang out even over the sounds of the bustling port city that she was in. The streets made of dirt and the buildings of tan clay or gray wood. Each structure simple in every way. The wielder of this agitated feminine voice however was storming through the town as people stepped aside out of fear to clear her path. The woman's chocolate brown hair flapping as much as the fire did inside of her eyes. It was now that she gives a huff of hot air as her brown eye twitched in wroth. The meal she so painstakingly cooked all day for dinner was now gone without even a single crumb left behind, and she knew who it was that ate it. The only man of the trio she was a part of that had an appetite that large was the one young man her age of twenty-one that was named Jet Enduro. It was only natural for her to take firm angry steps in the soft sands she walked on in town. The balled fists that adorned her arms and topped them off told everyone she passed that she was furious. The port town was close to the sea, so soft warm gusts of winds mixed with moisture blew across her cream skin while moving her chocolate brown skin about. Noticing that the wind kicked up dirt on her lavender dress she brushed it off in a calm manner as she allowed what anger she had to leave. It was only now that she was calm and the anger was out of her system that she realized the very man she was looking for was two steps away. "Jet, why did you eat my food?"

A young man of twenty turned to face her with a grin. "Your food?" He questioned. "If I had known it was your food I would not have eaten it." He explained closing his lightly purple eyes and Virginia assumed he smiled at her. She only assumed that because his eyes and brow seemed to show that. She could not really know though, because of his dual scarves that covered from his nose to below his neck. In all of this, Virginia just could not longer be mad at this man. "I'll get you some more, or make you something." He assured her.

She looked to his disheveled gray hair quickly. "That's all right, Jet." She sighed. "I just needed to know what became of the dinner I made." The brunette shook her head with a laugh and a smirk. "You only ate your own share of food anyway so I guess I shouldn't be so mad, but still…" She scrunched her face in disappointment. "Couldn't you have waited a few more hours to eat?"

He chuckled nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "You know me. I just can't wait that long." Jet quickly broke out of his stupor. "Uh, Virginia, do you notice anything different about the sun today?"

The woman tossed her long hair over her shoulder as she turned to look behind her. Placing her hand on her forehead Virginia looked as directly at the sun as she could without looking directly at it. "It does look a different shade of colour today. A more orange of a hue."

"Yeah, I don't like that." Jet commented as he turned and walked away.

Slowly Virginia realized as she faced away what Jet did, and turned to anxiously follow him. "Hey, don't leave me behind!" She screamed as she gave chase.

In the alleyway between the buildings made of the rock carved from the nearby mountains stood a man who was fascinated by the previous scene before him. Interested in what the two young adults said and how they interacted as he stood there in his long black overcoat, whose collar blocked his face as well as the shadows the sun produces. Turning away the man makes his way down the alley until he comes out on the other end, only to bump into a normal sized man with short green hair. The man with the green hair fixed his glasses and dusted off his long brown coat as he looked to the man he had collided with. But as soon as his death glare fell on the man who hid his face in the overcoat, the coated man was gone.

"Hey, Clive!" Jet ran up to the green-haired man quickly, but as he came to a stop his eyes focused on the man who was running away. He slowly lost his smile as he stared after the runaway stuck in a thought.

Virginia came to a stop catching her breath. "Who was that, Clive?" She questioned.

Clive gave a slight shake of his head. "Someone dangerous I believe." The older man by five or eight years looked to the shorter man beside him. "Did you know that guy or something, Jet?"

Jet continued to stare after despite the fact the mysterious man in the coat was long-gone. "Huh?" Jet blinked, realizing Clive's question and turning to face him. "I don't think so, but you never know for sure." He looked skyward to the sun that was too orange for him. "Excuse me, if you will, but I need to go back to the ship." Jet lied as he turned on his heel and walked slowly towered the docks and the ocean.

Virginia and Clive slowly exchanged looks with one another as worry took Virginia's large heart. "You want to go after him?" Clive asked, not the least bit interested in the situation. "You probably should." He recommended as the woman thought things through in her mind. "I've never seen him act so seriously before." With a clicking sound from his mouth Clive turned and faced the opposite direction that Jet went. "I think I should perhaps look for that man that I ran into. He seemed to be somehow connected with Jet's awkward behavior." Taken a hat of straw from his side, Clive placed it firmly on his head giving Virginia a nod. Turning in silence he walked off and left the girl to begin his search.

Jet came to the outskirts of the port town of Jolly Roger. Solemnly looking over the ruins of once was Jolly Roger ten years ago before the short war began. All that was left now in this barren land were the brick walls that stood up out of the sand that were once homes, but now only halved and scattered rocks. This particular place he stood now, as his boots pressed themselves into the earth, was the Enduro home he and his father once lived in long ago. He had lived here until the age of ten, when the Ark of Destiny came and razed this place in order to stop the Council of Seven's Yggdrasil Project. It was an odd history he was not happy to be a part of.

The truth is, that the Ark of Destiny, was once just a government body to the east that made up the other continent across the sea. They had once been an empire though, but they broke down and eventually became multiple countries, provinces, and states which all came together to be one union. There were seven countries who were never part of the empire that was the Ark of Destiny, and that was what came to be known as the Council of Seven. This was the name of the governmental body that controlled those seven regions, and the council was made up of the seven leaders of each of the seven countries.

In a treaty that was made between the two, the Ark and the Council, they banned any projects that involved genetic engineering or manipulation, and leiline research. Twenty-one years ago the Council broke that treaty because of a project they started codenamed Yggdrasil. It was set up to restore life to the world when it became noticeable that five of the seven Council countries and parts of the Ark's own were dying. They assumed the rest of the world would be after, and despite the risk, and illegality of their actions, they began this project, the forerunner of it being the Filgaia Sample idea. A project approved by one of the Council named Werner Maxwell, and undertaken by a team led by Eliot Enduro in a lab just outside of Jolly Roger. Among many things this involved genetic manipulation and leiline studies, and this is the most illegal part of their actions.

Jet knew that story well, being the first Sample made out of several. Eliot had decided that if he was taking the risk, he might as well not make other people suffer, and instead only his own flesh and blood. The whole idea was that a human who could wield the power of Filgaia and restore it's life, most likely utilizing a machine, would be the answer to all of the problems. It was only that the info was leaked after eleven years, and the Ark decided to attack the Council's nations, and most importantly, put an end to the Yggdrasil Project. Jet was not aware of what really happened after that. Eliot refused to follow some order the Council gave him, and the two ran from Jolly Roger, leaving his life behind.

And Eliot died soon afterwards.

Everyone he knew was gone, and he would never see them again. This is where Jet's whole life began that led to him becoming a meaningless Drifter. He hung his head in silence.

"What is this place?" Came the soft voice of Virginia who came quietly to his side. Usually he could sense such things, but not this time. "Jet?"

He formed a scowl. "Why are you here?" Jet asked with acid in his voice.

Virginia was shocked by his reaction, and turned away from his with a downcast expression. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone then."

As she moved away, Jet quickly grabbed her arm at the elbow, stopping her. "Wait," He drew in a breath while she turned in his grasp to face him. He let go of her arm and stared into her eyes. "I didn't mean to sound that way." He apologized. "I wanted to be alone, but," He gave her a soft smile through his scarves, lightening her expression. "I think your being here is for the best. I'd rather be here with another then be here alone."

"What is this place?" Virginia muttered as she looked at the ruins of what might have been homes and other buildings.

"This one nearest to us was my home."

She quickly looked to the dirt as she searched her mind for a correct response to such a statement. "I, I see." She found none.

"I don't want your pity." He requested. "I know that's what you give me once that face comes on." Jet gingerly placed his hand under her cheek, causing her to look away from the dirt to him.

"I guess you would know all my mannerisms by now, wouldn't you." She commented with a livid blush.

"Well, how long has it been since we met?"

"I, I'm not sure." Virginia lied. "Don't you know?"

"I know you do." He scoffed. "You are a horrible liar."

The brunette closed her eyes out of embarrassment. "Still, I won't always be here for you, will I? You'll have to learn to remember things for yourself soon enough."

"It's been six months." Jet simply replied, with a look of determination.

"So, if you knew that, why ask me?"

He looked into her eyes. "You said you wouldn't always be here for me." Virginia's brow creased with puzzlement as she opened her eyes to see him. "Virginia, do you intend to leave?"

"I can't stay with you and Clive forever." She sighed. "We may be travelling together now, but we will only do that for so long." Virginia explained, averting her eyes from his glance. "Did you really think we'd all be travelling together forever?"

Jet's hand fell away from her face as he walked away from her, and from what she could make out, into his home. She watched him slowly wind around rocks until he fell to the ground and sat in what's left of a corner of a room. The sand floating about him. After watching him there in quiet, she made her way through the home, until she got to the doorframe that still existed to that room Jet sat in.

"I know that this is all temporary." Jet confirmed. "I just don't want to lose you, Virginia. You really have been improving me just a bit with every passing day." He gave a heavy sigh. "Clive is teaching me things, and I think the three of us together as it is now is the best thing to always have."

"We will continue as it is for now," Virginia began, "But I am telling you that eventually we will all go off our own ways." She leaned against the doorframe, hugging her body. "We will get older, and trekking as we have will become harder. Clive, myself, or you may find better things and go off to do them."

"Virginia, I don't want to go off and do other things." He mentioned. "Not without people I know." Jet's hand turned to a clenched fist as it lied on the sand. "I won't lose any more people!"

Virginia remained still, before looking down to him with pity-filled eyes. "I'm sorry." She slowly knelt down to his side and draped her arms around him in a hug. "Who did you lose?" Jet grunted, and acted like she was not there. "Don't be that way." She pleaded.

"What do you care?" He asked with annoyance. "You just said, that eventually we will part ways. That means that whatever I tell you now will be irrelevant."

"No, no, that's not what I said." She anxiously replied. "I said we would part, yes, but I never said that didn't make what we share now meaningless. We'll part ways, but we will never forget one another." Virginia urgently argued.

"Still…it doesn't matter." Jet replied, standing upward and breaking the hug she had on him. "Go back to Clive, and leave here." He commanded. "I will stay."

"Jet, what are you saying?" She cried out as she stood beside him.

"If we will part ways, one day or another, why not do it now?" Jet gave with a grunt as he walked past her and out of the home. He stopped, but never faced her. "I won't travel with you guys. I was always better off alone." He said just loud enough to be heard.

Virginia quickly ran through the home and cut off Jet's escape. Without hesitation he went to go around her, but was met with a slap across his face. With shocked eyes he looked to her face that bled tears that slowly flowed down to her jaw. "You can't leave me!"

He took that as an insult. "You're leaving me! You said that just a moment ago!" Jet argued with her. "By saying that we will eventually part ways you imply that you want to!"

"I never said that." She sobbed. "I never wanted to say that." Virginia continued. "I thought that you wanted to leave us, so I lied and told you all of that. I never want to leave you, Jet." She sobbed again as she moved forward, gripping his coat with her fingers, and shoving her face into his chest as far as she could. Letting her tears dry against the harsh fabric of his coat. Slowly, and awkwardly, Jet let his hands embrace her softly, running his hands up and down in a comforting manner.

"I, I…I won't leave you, Virginia." Jet said, moving his hand to weaken her hold on his coat. "Not ever. That I promise you."

She rubbed her face against his coat, drying her tears fully. Her eyes puffed and red crated a feeling within her mind that she most look unattractive with such features, but that didn't matter. "Jet. I feel safe, with you here."

"The same with me." He replied, looking to the ground not far away on his lawn, and suddenly his body went taunt and tense. Virginia for a moment thought she was touching a statue as Jet's arms around her went limp and fell to his sides. "That…book."

"What?" Virginia looked to his face with confusion. A knot in her stomach. Gently, Jet left her frame and walked a few yards until he bent down and picked up an item. "Jet?"

"It's still altogether." He stated in shock, picking up a red canvas covered book, worn with dirt and ragged edges. Jet brushed as much dirt as he could off of it, but the title was still illegible. "This thing is still here after so long."

Virginia slowly came to his side to look at the book. "What is that?"

"A book." Jet shook his head vehemently. "No, not a book, a great book." He replied with a content smile and tone that seemed so far away from Virginia and Jolly Roger now.

She glanced at the tattered tome, and noted that what text the book had was all illegible, inside and out, as Jet flipped through the pages. "What story was on these pages? I've never seen a book like this one ever before." Virginia observed as she studied the features of the book. She has read many books, and at least seen all of those made before, and yet, not this one.

"This book had three separate stories. One regarding the mighty thunder guardian, Thor, when he lost his hammer. Another chronicles his adventure into Jotunheim to meet Utgard-Loki, and lastly, a story regarding Ragnarok, the final battle of good and evil." Jet explained.

"That all sounds vaguely familiar." She observed with thought. "However, in all of my days at Ark's University I don't think I ever came across something like this."

"The legend is not know to many." Jet noted. "This book, may just be the only written record of them left."

"What good is a book that nobody can read though?"

"Only two people can read it still; myself included." Jet commented.

"The other?"

"My friend, Norris, but he may be at rest with the other's of Old Jolly Roger with the others who were not as fortunate as me." Jet grimly replied, looking to the field in the distance where the dead could be found. Those who died when Ark attacked Jolly Roger ten years ago. His mouth went agape. "Amigone."

"Amigone?" Virginia questioned.

"Nothing." Jet dismissed it with a shake of his head as he stood upward with Virginia. "Listen, let's go back and eat dinner. I'm starved."

"Jet, you just ate your meal two hours ago, remember?"

"Oh, right." He lamented. "Then I guess there's no rush then."

"Jet, tell me about your life. I want to know everything there is to know."

"You really don't want to." Jet suggested. "Too much to say."

"I have the time." The woman responded with a smile.

"There isn't all that much to say when it comes down to it." Jet lied. "I was born, I grew up, and I lost my family, and then I became a Drifter of this planet until I met you."

"Too short." The brunette remarked. "I know you skipped many important things. Tell me it all. Like, about you as a kid."

"Well, when I was a kid I…was alone. Lonely." Jet stated openly. "I, I didn't have all too many friends until this one day."

"Oh? What happened that day?"

"I met Norris, and from then on we were the best of friends." Jet absentmindedly clutched the book. "It was at that time my father gave me this book here that my mother had owned before she died at my birth. Back then, you could read the pages, but Norris and I were still too young to know how to read." Jet explained with a bent brow. "This book is what made he and I want to read so badly."

"It must have been a really good story then. I'd love for you to tell me it one day."

"For years, we would get into all sorts of trouble, and this book would always be along for the ride." Jet continued, never acknowledging Virginia's words, and seemingly ignoring her, caught up in his past. "That all changed one day."

"What happened?" She asked, noticing his sudden trouble with words. This was way too personal, but he finally was opening up to her, and she really needed to know about him.

"What else happens between two male friends that isn't a girl?" Jet stated, as Virginia looked away. Jet had loved a girl in his past, and she was not sure if that love still stood. "But, that wasn't the end of the book. The end of the book came the night that all of these homes were destroyed by the Ark." Jet slowly looked up to the dusk sky with the sun that seemed too orange a colour for him today. "If you wouldn't mind, I don't want to really go into more detail about that now."

"I don't mind. Actually, I advise that you don't go too far into all of that." Virginia replied, placing her soft hand softly on his shoulder. "Your friend and you, what happened to the girl?"

"To answer that question, I'd have to go into what happened that night, and I'm not about to revisit that memory just yet."

"Understood." She returned, closing her eyes. This mysterious girl that he loved still on her mind. "So, so you wish to find that girl?"

"I can't lie and say that I wouldn't like to see her again. She is my friend after all, but, I'm sure that I no longer love her. She is in my past now, and she is probably dead, so I know I don't feel anything for her any longer. I've only recalled her now that I'm back here in Jolly Roger." Jet's words trailed off into unintelligible words that Virginia could not make out. "Virginia, I, I will tell you the story that was in this book. You will put the story back into it, right?"

"What do you mean?" She wondered. "I don't like how you said that." Virginia responded with a voice of worry. "It seems like you want me to write the story down, so you can go die, and the story will live on after."

"I don't want to lie. That's why I want you to write it down, but, it's not my choice to die."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"There's a reason fate brought me back here again. I'm not sure what it is, but I know I will soon come across it. I'm not sure I can live after all of this." Jet regretfully informed her.

"Jet." She uttered, with a loss and lack of words. "You can't die. Not now."

"I wish it were that easy." Jet looked to her with a smile as his hand gently took her own, allowing his warmth and softness to ease her worry. "Don't worry, Virginia. I never said I would die. You just can't be too careful anymore, you know, so I want to make sure the story is put back down on paper." He chuckled. "I also don't think I'll always remember the story forever. I am getting older with each passing day."

"All right then." Virginia replied, squeezing his hand. "Let's go back to the ship and see what Clive is up to."

The time of twilight came about as the sun hit the ocean in the horizon. As the darkness swooped in the air became cooler, causing Virginia to shiver as she and Jet walked down the wooden planks of the docks. The sound of the harbor waves moving back and forth and hitting the wooden post near to them as they walked together down the length of the docks. The sound of water like this had become a comforting one for Jet over the years, and almost could be considered the sound of home to him. He could easily be at peace with such a sound. As the light posts along the way lit up, Jet's ears twitched due to a second noise, causing him to stop.

"What's wrong, Jet?" Virginia wondered as she stopped and looked to their twenty-four foot boat just three ships away.

"There's somebody here." Jet noted as he glared into the distance before him. Into the blue of the night. "C'mon out, Adven!"

"Adven?" Virginia muttered.

A man with dirt brown hair with a green headband through it stepped out from behind the nearest post between them and the boat that hung a light above it. Once Adven was under the light his build and height, similar to Jet's own, and Adven's red shirt and white pants came into view for Virginia and Jet to see. The ends of his headband moving in the cool wind as a grin came to his face. "Nice to see you as well, Jet."

"What is it this time? Do you want to fight?" Jet groaned.

"Nah, not this time around." Adven replied as the three met under the light. Adven Bok, a friendly rival Jet had made following his time on Filgaia. For years the two have fought about a stupid action figure of Advens' that Jet broke when they were fourteen. "I came to see you. I have something to show you."

"You do? What sort of something?" Jet asked with intrigue as a puzzled expression took his face.

"I learned this, I don't know what you call it, but I learned this 'attack' from this old man and I wanted to show it to you. See what you think of it." Adven explained. "Ah, hey there Virginia. How's it going? Keeping my bud here out of trouble?" Adven questioned, looking to the woman as Jet mouthed the word 'bud' in confusion.

"Everything's good with me. As for Jet, I'd say he's been up to his usual antics."

"Heh, do you've had your hands full." Adven commented. "Anyway, I'm gonna stay with you two and your other pal for tonight and tomorrow, and I'll reimburse you with this 'attack' that the old man taught me."

"Oh, I get it now." Jet stated with an annoyed grin. "You need a place to stay so you come to us. That's why suddenly I'm your 'bud' of all things."

"Well, as much as we fight Jet, I still see you as one of my best friends. Actually, you three and one other are probably the only friends I have." Adven admitted sadly.

"Uh, awkward." Jet noted. "Guys really should not express themselves like that." He said more to himself even though the other two heard him. "Whatever, you can come stay with us."

"Thanks a bunch. Trust me, this attack will be worth putting me up for a night or two." Adven reassured.

"C'mon Virginia, let's get going." Jet simply said.

Within a dark alley of the new Jolly Roger, came a soft noise of garbage being kicked aside. The man in the overcoat settled against the side of a building. Catching his breath he shoves his hands in his pockets to draw from it a communicator of some sort. "I've located the prototype you ordered me to find."

"Good job, I want him alive."

"Sir, if he is too much to handle, may I kill him?" The overcoated man, with a young and smooth voice wondered.

"Only if necessary."

"Understood."

"Are you sure you can handle fighting that man, Jet Enduro?"

"Yes sir. Just because we have a connection does not mean that I will treat him any different."

As the man put the device away and walked from alley. Leaning his head back from the roof ledge above the bespeckled partner of Virginia and Jet quietly observed the man who he had bumped into that afternoon. Clive stood and darted off in stealth, hopping from one roof to another.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a girl. Of course, not many other things can separate friendships. The girl Amigone, one of pleasant beauty. She held on her head, hair, in the colour of a raven and in the length of a yard. She often had it in a braided ponytail, displaying her elegant face made of two eyes, one a crystal blue and the other a jade green. Her nose not small, but not big, and simply just right on her face. Her lips seemed naturally red as if painted always that red of roses. Her frame was not lanky, though her shirt's long sleeves often made it to appear as such. Her body was not perfect, she was only ten after all, but it was possible to tell that when she grew she would be a woman that was not perfect, but full of common beauty. She was not skinny, and not fat, but a size that lied between the two, remaining closer to being lean. There was such innocence in her ten-year old spirit, and that was what made the two boys, Jet and Norris take notice. She now, just a vague memory in Jet's mind. A memory of a girl that he loved once, a long time ago. However, there was the truth that he knew her grave was an empty one.

Chapter Two 

Thor woke one morning to find that, Mjollnir, the magic war-hammer made by the dwarves, Brokk and Eiti, had been stolen. In his search for it, he asked Loki for help. Loki went to the guardian, Freyja, to borrow her feather cloak, which enabled him to transform into a falcon, and allow him to fly. In this form, Loki flew to the realm of the demon, Jotunheim. There he found the demon, Thrym, who was the culprit who stole the Mjollnir. Thrym was the leader of the demons of the frost, and when Loki asked about the hammer, Thrym told him that the return of it would only come if he could marry Freyja.

Loki returned to Asgard, the home of the guardians, and spoke the news of the condition Thrym gave. Freyja, the promiscuous goddess among the Asynoir, having slept with guardians, elws, humans, and dwarves, was outraged about Thrym's demands. A rather amusing thing. Loki, however, being a clever demon that he is that lives among the guardian's, developed a plot to dress Thor up in a bridal gown, and pass him off as Freyja. Thor would go to Jotunheim, instead of Freyja. The guardian reluctantly agreed, since he had little choice if he wished to recover the Mjollnir. They put the dress and the veil on to cover his identity, and wore Freyja's necklace of gold to complete the disguise.

Loki accompanied Thor to Jotunheim, where Thrym welcomed his new bride to the kingdom. The demons prepared a great feast in honour of Freyja—who is really Thor. During this feast, Thrym and his fellow demons became astonished that his bride ate a whole ox, eight salmons, and drank three tankard of mead. Thrym angrily demanded an explanation for this unwomanly manner, and Loki, being the cunning being he is, explained that Freyja (Thor) was so excited about the marriage that she had not eaten in eight nights.

Thrym let it go, and wanted a kiss from his bride. When he peeped under the veil though, he was taken aback by his bride's intense red eyes. Again, Loki came up with an excuse—Freyja had not slept in eight nights since she was so eager about the marriage.

Thrym ordered his demons to bring the Mjollnir to show his soon-to-be wife, and the hammer made it into his bride's lap. When Thor recognized his hammer, the guardian was happy. He took his weapon and struck down Thrym, and then began to kill all the demons in the hall, like he has done so many others.

"So, what is it made of?" Jet wondered.

"Well, I figure that it is made up of the user's emotions, as well as the emotions that surround him." Adven shrugged with an explanation.

"Show it to me once more." The scarf wearing young man requested.

Adven stood up on the edge of the dock, as the morning's crisp air blew about him. He closed his eyes shut, and focused on his surroundings as he brought his arms to waist level. He let them raise upwards in a bent-L shape, as if he were showing off his muscles. His hands balling up. "Negative," An aura took his hands, and Jet swore he could see a purple glow to them. Adven lowered his arms to his waist again, as if ready to strike outwards with them. "Cannon," He stretched his arms forth and opened his palms. "Blast!" And with his outburst a purple beam emitted from his palms. The diameter of it being the same as the width of his waist. The blast soaring out over the water and parting the top of it as it went far out into the sea.

"So…what does it do if it connects?" Jet wondered as the attack left their sight.

Adven turned to the other man. "It cannot kill if that's what you're asking."

"So, then all it can do, is harm nature?"

"Well, no, it can hurt a person, but it can't directly kill them." Adven countered. "But, yes, if I fired this at a mountain that was right behind you, I could probably cause it to fall onto you and crush your body, and then indirectly kill you."

"And, this attack, you can use it as many times as you want?"

"Yep." Adven replied. "It's powered by negative emotions, and since those are unlimited, so is this attack." He explained. "Which makes me think…"

"Oh, and what about?"

"In this world there are always items that keep balance because other items exist, i.e. good and evil."

"What about that?" Jet asked in confusion.

"Well, if there is the Negative Cannon, there must be some opposite attack to counter it."

"Positive Cannon." Virginia remarked as she walked up to the two on the wooden dock.

"A Positive Cannon?" Jet wondered. "That sounds like a much better attack for me to have. I'm more positive than I am negative, so that will probably make the attack stronger."

"We've got to start right away on developing it!" Adven quickly exclaimed with an excited shout. Right before he did anything else though, a loud gurgle from his stomach sounded as it told the trio that it was empty. "Eh-heh-heh, Virginia?"

"I was about to tell you two that lunch was ready." She replied with a smile. Adven cheered and darted off for the boat nearby. Virginia looked to Jet. "Jet,"

"What's up?"

"Don't stress yourself."

"I'm not going to." He assured her. "Now, what was it you made for us?"

"You'll have to see for yourself." She teased with a laugh.

"Ah, c'mon, that's not fair!"

He moved in front of her, letting their breaths just grace the other's skin on their face as they stare into the other's eyes. "Jet, I—" She was stopped by one of his fingers on his lips.

"Shh, talk later." He suggested. "It's lunchtime." Jet moved away, nervously, on his way down the dock and for the boat. Virginia stared at his back. She wanted him to let himself open up to her more, but she could not just ask him. He does not want another person to fully be in his life again, because that would just bring him down. She could never be a burden for him. Still, she was not able to imagine a life without him at this point.

"Virginia." The woman with that name turned to the older man who stood behind her with the glasses and green hair.

"How'd you wind up here, Clive?" She spotted the dripping seawater that was becoming a shallow puddle on the wooden planks of the dock. "Were you in the water?"

"Where's Jet?"

"With Adven on the boat. It's time for lunch." Clive nodded, and stormed off leaving her in concern. She was unsure why Clive was so serious, but obviously it involved Jet, and that bothered her more. Shaking her head, she hurried off after the man, and soon all four were in the galley of the twenty-four foot long boat. "Clive," She sternly began, grabbing his attention. "What is it you wanted to tell Jet?"

"It's for Jet, and not you."

She tightened her fingers into a fist. "Like Hell it is! Whatever is his business is mine as well. We're a team after all." She argued as the men stared at her in shock. Virginia was never one to lash out at anyone with anger like that. She was typically the calm one of the group.

"Tell us all Clive, but," Jet smiled to break the tension. "Tell us after lunch. I'd rather be full when we talk about it."

Virginia went crimson in embarrassment as she darted to the counter to retrieve the food so none of them would see. She thought herself to be an idiot now for talking out like she had. She sucked in a breath of air to calm herself. "I made us soup today. I know you guys are getting tired of that, but, we really have no other choice."

"With the economy as it is, and how hard it is to get a well-paying job, it's thanks enough that we can even have soup." Clive noted, fixing his glasses. It was rather odd to hear words from him on meaningless subjects.

"How true." Adven agreed. "I spent two weeks with no food a month back. Five days without water. It was horrible."

"We can only hope that we can catch fish with no bait." Jet commented as he ate the empty soup Virginia put down for him. It really was mainly just a broth with a vegetable and some meat that turned up every so often in the liquid. "Clive, will what you have to say make meals any better?" He wondered. "I mean, will it bring any money our way?"

Clive froze and thought over his response as Virginia went about placing the rest of the bowls on the table for the people to eat. All eyes seemed to be on the glasses-wearing man, who sat with folded arms. "No, in fact, it may make us lose money."

"So, then it's not good news? Oh well, won't be much different than the usual." Jet lamented, before returning to his meal.

"I, I'm grateful you guys let me eat with you." Adven nervously mentioned. "I mean, you have little as it is, and you gave a bit of it to me."

Virginia gave him a warm smile. "Adven, you're just like a friend, and besides, we're the sort of people who are just gullible enough to believe that only good exists in this world." She began to eat, but the eyes that looked at her nerved her a bit. "We treat any person we meet with hospitality. You never know when that same person you helped will do the same in the future for you."

The three men nodded in agreement. "Jet," Everyone looked at Clive, once more. "That picture that you have by your bed."

All but Clive glanced towards the nearby bed where a photo frame could be seen. Within it two pictures. One small and in the foreground while the other was the size of the frame. The bigger picture being that of his family that he has kept from a long time ago in his life. The second photo was of him back when he was young—about ten—and on one side of him was a boy of the same age, and on the other side, a girl his age.

"What's your point? They're just pictures." Jet remarked.

"Who is that boy besides you in that photo?" Clive wondered. Jet raised and eyebrow. Clive had never wanted to know much about Jet's past before now.

"That was, that was Norris. He was my best friend when I was ten." Jet replied abruptly. "He's been dead now ever since I left this town."

"What id he wasn't dead, though?" Clive ventured.

Jet looked back with knowing eyes. "You saw him then?"

"I'm not sure. I tracked that man I bumped into yesterday. You seemed to be staring at him intently as if he were familiar." Clive explained. "At about midnight, I found him in an alleyway where he seemed to be having a discussion about you with someone."

"About me?" The gray-haired man wondered.

Virginia looked to Jet with a worried face. She just wants him to be safe, and she had the uncontrollable urge right now to cut Clive off and seal the young man away from danger. She just could never do that though. He was a grown man.

"The man who talked to that guy gave specific directions that sounded to me like one a bounty hunter would receive." Clive commented. "The thing was, he wanted to kill you, yet his boss wanted you alive."

"So, you think this guy was an enemy of mine?" Jet glanced at the photo frame again. "You think that it was Norris that is to catch me, correct?"

Clive nodded. "They each have this similar thing about them. After seeing that other guy, he reminds me of the person in that photo."

"Jet," The room looked at Adven. "If someone is out to kill you, I will stay here with you. I can't let anyone kill you that is not me."

"You want to kill me?" Jet remarked.

"Not really, but as rivals that's the sort of attitude that I have about these things. We rivals, don't want our rival to have any other rival."

"You have my strength as well." Clive noted, as he stood and walked out of the boat.

"Jet…" Virginia looked at Jet with a concerned look.

"I can count on you too, right?"

Virginia nodded tenfold. "Of course. I would help you do anything Jet."

Adven chuckled, seeing her all too devoted to Jet, her love, and he glanced at Jet. Jet had worn a face that he had never seen before; neither as a friend or rival. He knew Jet was just as in love with Virginia as she was with him. "Thanks again for the meal." Adven gave his regards and left the room as well.

The boat gently rocked back and forth as a gust of wind could be heard on the windowpane. Jet reached out his hand to take Jet's own. "Virginia, you wanted to tell me something outside?"

She gulped. "Y-ye-yeah, well, it's not so important."

"Everything you say tends to be important so let me hear it." Jet countered.

"Maybe later. You should get back to developing the Positive Cannon, remember?" Virginia replied standing up and gathering the bowls bringing them to the sink.

"Okay, but you'll have to tell me sooner or later." Jet sighed as he stood with a stretch before leaving the galley as well.

"Do you want to try to beat me again?" The young boy of ten questioned. His auburn hair ruffling in the wind as he stood by the sea.

"Of course." Jet remarked as he came to the water's edge. His youth still intact as he wore overalls. He swiped up a rock from the ground in his ten year old hands. Placing it between his thumb and pointer finger. "I bet my rock will skip more times and go farther than any one you ever threw."

"Oh-ho-ho! You think?"

"Of course, Norris." Jet replied with an overconfident tone of voice.

"Here goes!" Jet wound up and flung the rock outward into the sea skipping six times before sinking a house length out. "What was your best?"

"Eight skips."

"I'll beat you someday."

"Hey, you two!" A young girl's voice rang out, grabbing the attention of both boys. Amigone, the girl who had stolen each of the young boy's hearts. "Are you at that again?"

"Heh. Jet insists that he can beat me." Norris gloated.

"I will too beat you!" The gray-haired boy argued.

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nope."

"Stop that you two." Amigone demanded with worry. "You're good friends, so there is no reason to fight."

Jet chuckled. "I guess you're right. I'm just really competitive."

"Same here." Was Norris' only reply.

"Jet, would you like to come by for dinner tonight?" Amigone ventured.

Norris turned away in scorn as Jet grinned slightly. "Sounds good. You guys always make up such funny stories."

Norris felt hurt. Why was he left out? "Isn't your father at work, Jet?" Norris argued.

"That's why I asked Jet over. He shouldn't have to eat alone." Amigone remarked causing Norris to feel a bit better. At least she had not preferred Jet over him.

Jet lost his smile, remembering how alone he was most of the time. His mother died at his birth, and his father was busy all too often. He was often just left to his lonesome. "I'm going to go read the story about Thor when he had to dress up as a woman to get back his hammer." He waved and darted off.

Jet felt a cool air blow by him as he sat on the wooden deck of his, and the other's, boat. His manner of sitting being Indian style with folded legs. The evening sun overhead splintering about the ground colouring it violet, orange, a pinkish-red, and a golden yellow. Slowly raising his arm his hand blocked the sun from his eyes. With a soft motion he closed his palm into a fist as he captured the sun in his palm. He did not have the sun though. What need would he have for a sun anyway? And so his hands found his leg to rest upon.

Without a noise, Virginia took a seat besides the young man, before slowly leaning into his shoulder. Breathing in his smell as his scarves blew about at the ends. She placed her look on the horizon of the sea where the ocean met the sky. The sun had made it so many colours, and she found them beautiful.

"Virginia," Jet spoke. "Is this art?"

"You mean, like a photo of a sunset, or something like that?"

"No, this is nature's work." He lowered his head at an angle until it rested upon hers'. "I have never seen a professional painting, but it's my impression that art looks like this sunset now."

"You're right." Virginia informed him. "It does."

"The sunsets here," he closed his eyes tight, "They aren't that pretty are they?" He stated. "The one we see today seems to be the worst one ever. It's not pretty at all."

"Jet?" The brunette woman held a face of puzzlement.

"The truth is, that art is not beauty at all, Virginia. It's a feeling and this sunset is an ominous one. Art only tried to fake beauty."

"Every person, sees art in a different light."

"I suppose." The man let out a sigh. "Amigone, she painted for me once a sunset not unlike this one on canvas."

"Amigone?" Virginia had heard this name before just the previous day. When Jet had been talking about the past. He told her, that he had loved a girl once. "Was Amigone…the girl you told me you loved? You and your friend?"

Jet snapped his neck so he could see her eyes. "Virginia…"

She looked forward and away from him. "You said that you did not love that girl, but you can't seem to forget her."

"I don't love her. Not any more." Jet argued. "But that doesn't mean that I can just go and forget her."

"So, Amigone is that girl?"

He nodded. "_WAS_ that girl."

"I'm sorry. I'm rather selfish." Virginia muttered. "I made you bring up bad memories just because I was curious."

"You really don't have anything to apologize for."

"I feel I owe you. My life, before we met, was not very exciting. Nothing like it is with you an Clive." Virginia quietly commented. "I grew up with six brothers. Can you imagine that many kids?" She scoffed. "I was the second child too. The second oldest. My mother having died at my youngest brother's birth."

"I'm sorry."

"Do you know how hard it is to replace a mother at age ten?"

"No, but I can imagine that it would be hard." In a more comfortable position, with their head once more touching, Jet placed his hand on her far shoulder. "You don't have to talk about this."

"I'd like to tell you a bit more." She waited, and when he gave no response, she decided to continue. "My brother sent me to University in the Ark of Destiny. They told me I deserved the best, and that I should no longer fret about them. They could finally take care of themselves." She gave a warm smile. "I went to University, and I learned many things."

"And that's why I wanted you to help me. I suck at all of those things you're good at."

"Right, and when I met you that day. You tried to steal from me."

"And I've apologized for that." He argued.

"I'm not mad about it now." She comforted him. "It's funny, that we'd be here now all because you stole an empty bag from me in a marketplace."

"Well, I didn't know that it was empty."

"The truth is, after University, I had no where to go. No one needed me. My brothers were fine without me. So who could I be a mother to?" Virginia sighed. "Jet, you said to me yesterday that you would like to stay with me for much longer. I'd like to offer the same to you."

"In all of this, I think we've forgotten about poor Clive. That man deserves to have us too, y'know."

She turned to look to his face with a warm smile on her pink lips. "He does. He has saved your butt enough times."

"I'm not _THAT_ bad in a fight." He lamented.

Her giggle echoed about the waters. She looked to his face, and suddenly as her cheeks grew red, she realized what has been bothering her about him. About why she wanted to be with him as long as she could. Why she was jealous about Amigone. She loved Jet. Knowing that, she could only look away quickly from him with a blush. How could she be so stupid and fall in love with him?

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine! Goodnight, Jet." In a flash, Virginia hurried off to bed, and never even gave Jet a second look.

"Did, I say something wrong?" Jet wondered to himself in the silence.

"Enduro."

Jet's eyes went wide. He looked about the boat's deck for the voice that called out his surname moments ago. "Who's there?"

The blade of a sickle weapon touched his neck, but never did it cut. It was just a hair width away from it though. "Long time, no see."

"Heh, is this how you greet me of all people?" Jet wondered, now over his initial shock, as a large smirk formed on his lips.

"This is how I greet traitors. The ones' that hold the lowest place in Hell." The other male spat.

"A traitor?" Jet muttered. "I've never."

"We will talk about that later."

"Hey!" Clive burst onto the deck, with Adven and Sakura soon following. Only Clive understanding and knowing what was going on. He had been the one who felt something amiss and got the others to follow him up. "You're that man…"

"Two hours, Jet." The man spoke to the gray-haired one. "I think you know where you will find me."

"The place I left you."

"Good boy." With that, the man of shadows who snuck up on Jet was gone just as easily as he appeared.

No one spoke, but Clive did sheathe the sword he carried on his person. "That was the same man who I followed last nigh." Clive confirmed as an unfazed Jet made his way to the cabin. Clive flung his scabbard between the young man and the door, and Jet stopped to look the older man's way. "That was the same man from that picture tonight. That was the man you called Norris."

"I'm aware of that." Jet calmly replied.

Virginia had no idea what was going on, and wanted to ask him so many questioned. Why was Jet's best friend from childhood come back and do such things? Why was he even here? And most importantly, why was he alive? She had assumed that Norris died long ago.

"You won't be going to him alone." Adven smirked. "I will accompany you. No doubt, so will Clive here."

Jet showed a face he did not show often. He had furrowed his brow and clenched his teeth. "You two will not!" He roared, taking everyone by surprise.

Virginia was frightened of this Jet. "Jet, you sh—"

"No, Virginia." He came back down to a calm visage. "This will no doubt be something that is just between the two of us. What it's about, I have no idea. I just know that I am no traitor. I never betrayed her."

Her? He meant Amigone. She was still his love. She had to be even after so long. Does she not?


	3. Chapter 3

Friend. A really simple word that means a lot to many people on Filgaia. No one could ever fully understand why this simple six letter word would be important, but it is. If you add a 'boy' or 'girl' to the front of it the word is made even more important somehow. In the simplist definition, a friend is one who is attached to another by affection or esteem. Someone that is not hostile. A favored companion. The history of this term and for what it means stretches far back before any living mind can imagine. As soon as there were two people in this world, there was the concept of a friend. In this world there are also allies, who while not being friends, are just as good. The truth of the matter, like most words, friend is defined by the person that uses it. So, it has to be asked, what are friends?

Chapter Three 

Thor set out on a journey, along with his servant Thialfi, and also with Loki, as they went into Jotunheim. Thialfi was the swiftest person on foot, and he carried Thor's pouch, which had their provisions. When night came they found themselves in an immense forest, and searched on all sides for a place to rest the night. Finally they came across an immense hall, with an entrance that took the whole end of the building. They slept here, but woke at alarm at midnight, when an earthquake hit that shook the whole edifice. A terrible groaning was heard all throughout the night. In the mornings Thor went out and found a huge sleeping giant nearby who seemed to be the cause of the problem. For once, Thor was afraid to wield his hammer. When the demon finally awoke, Thor asked of him a name.

The giant was named Skrymir, and the giant already knew who Thor was, but he asked the guardian where his glove was. Thor soon realized that the hall they had slept in last night was the giant's glove. Skyrmir proposed that they travel together, and Thor agreed, and as soon as that was done, they began breakfast. Once they began to walk though, it was soon that the trio learned that it was hard to keep pace with the giant. Regardless they walked the whole day until they came to rest under a large oak tree. Skyrmir rested himself, and told the party from Asgard to eat whatever they want from his pouch. As hard as Thor tried though, he could not undo the tie that Skyrmir had done on it. In anger, Thor hit the giant's head with his hammer, and the giant woke and asked if a leaf had fallen on his head. Thor said nothing and they all went to bed, but the loud sound of Skrymir's snoring echoing in the forest angered and woke Thor. In anger he flung Mjollnir at the giant, leaving a small dint in it, Skrymir woke and asked if moss had fallen on him from the tree. Thor said nothing of it again, and thought that a third strike would settle things between them. They all went back to bed, and Thor hit the giant again, and this time he sat up and asked if an acorn had fallen on him. Skrymir tells them they should get up and go on to travel. He tells them that the city of Utgard is a place where many his size are, but the leader, Utgard-Loki, would not want them there, so he tells them of a way through the east.

After leaving the giant, the trio finds by noon, a city so large that they must strain their necks to look upwards. They found their way into the city, and came into the palace that had it's door open, where they found men of a similar stature of Skrymir's own. There in the palace they found Utgard-Loki, whom they met with respect. Utgard-Loki looked down and met the people whom he already knew as being Thor. He asks of the three what skills they have that places them above that of a normal man.

Loki says to him that he can eat faster than any person, and is ready to give proof of that. Utgard-Loki called a giant named Logi forward to compete with Loki. A trough of meat was placed on the floor, and the two began to eat, starting at opposite ends. They each came to the middle, but Loki had only eaten the flesh, while Logi had eaten flesh, bone, and trough. It was agreed that Loki had been defeated.

Utgard-Loki asked what Thialfi could do, and he answered that he would race anyone that the giant asked him to. They all moved out to the plain where they could run, and called the giant named Hugi forward to race Thialfi. They began, and Hugi so outmatched Thialfi that he got one lap, and ran back to meet Thialfi who only just started, and then proceeded to run three laps, with Thialfi barely starting. With Thialfi defeated, Utgard-Loki asked Thor what he could do.

Thor said that he could out drink anyone, and so a large horn was brought forward that Utgard-Loki said could be drunk by the best drinker in one sip, but a puny drinker could finish in three. Thor took the horn, that seemed of a normal size, and drank from it for as long as he could, but in the end, he had to take a breath, but found that the liquid was hardly diminished. He took another drink, but still failed. Utgard-Loki told him that if he can not empty it on the third drink, he would never be seen as mighty here. Angered, Thor tried once more, but saw that the liquid only got a little lower, and so gave up on it. Utgard-Loki laments that Thor is not as great as he thought, but he asks Thor to try one more feat: to lift his cat from the floor. Thor tried with all of his might to lift the gray cat, but only ever got one foot off of the floor, and soon gave up on it.

Utgard-Loki says that the trial has turned out as he imagine, and that Thor does little in comparison to the men of Utgard. Thor says that he should see if that is the case now that he is angered. Who of them would wrestle him now? Utgard-Loki called forward the old crone named Elli, who had thrown many men to the ground before him. A toothless old woman entered, and Thor tried with all his might to win, but the more he tried, the firmer her position was. Thor was soon defeated. It was then that Utgard-Loki told them it was over, as night came, and they sat down and ate in the hall.

The next morning Utgard-Loki led the party to the gates of town and asked Thor how his journey turned out, and if he had met anyone stronger than he. Thor admits his shame, and what hurts him more, is that he is thought of now of being worth little. Utgard-Loki tells him that he is wrong, and seeing that as long as he lives, Thor will no longer return to Utgard, that he in fact, has been using illusions all along. Starting in the forest, where he tied his pouch of food with iron wire so Thor could not untie it. He was in fact Skrymir in the forest. The strike Thor made on his head would have killed him, but he moved and place a mountain in the way where he dented it with three hits. He had done this on contests as well, starting with Loki. Logi was in fact, fire, that destroys all, which is why Logi ate all of the food, bone and trough in all. Hugi, who Thialfi races with, was in actuality, thought, and so it was impossible to beat something that could finish a race with a thought. The horn that Thor drank from was actually the ocean, which is now shallower thanks to Thor who drank it, as well as there is now tides. The cat that Thor tried to lift was actually the Midgard Serpent who wraps it's body around the world. Elli, was actually old age, and not even a guardian like Thor can defeat old age. Utgard-Loki warns Thor to never cross him again, or he will defeat Thor with similar illusions. In anger Thor went to attack, but Utgard-Loki and the city of Utgard was gone, leaving the trio alone in the empty plain.

"**There…is that all of them, Virginia?" Jet wondered, as the two sat on the deck as the silver moon lighted them.**

**Virginia shut the red canvas bound book of Jet's past. "You've told me every tale, and I've written them." She replied with no emotion at all. "Don't go." She pleaded. "At least not alone."**

**Jet took in a deep breath of consideration. "This is all inevitable." The young man explained. "If I run, this fight will still occur, but only later. Today is the best time to handle this though. I can't just run and run, and then find myself too weak. That's for cowards and idiots."**

**Virginia closed her eye. Pinching her nose with a stern face. "This is all because of Amigone, isn't it?" She wondered with jealousy. She loves Jet, that was clear to her, and if this was about Amigone, she knew Jet could never love her.**

"**It is." Jet confirmed. "Norris accused me of betraying her." He seethed. "That was not the case. He is wrong."**

"**What happened?" The brunette wondered. "Back then?"**

**Jet blinked as Virginia's eyes fluttered and looked to his thoughtful face. A hand to his chin, through the scarf that he wore. "I can't say."**

**Virginia clutched at her skirt fabric. If she could only tell him now that she loved him. If only she had the strength. She was sure now, that if she were to tell him of her feelings, he would then die. It was commonly seen in many of the novels on Filgaia, that following the woman's or man's admission of love, they would then die. She did not want that to happen this time in real-life, so she forced her urge to keep him with her back down inside.**

**Jet blinked and looked to the moon overhead in the night sky. Thinking about something that could not easily be made out by his expression. He is coming down to his last few hours in which he can live in the present. His past would soon takeover. Would his future die with it? He was not sure at this moment if he could really fight Norris. It seemed impossible.**

"**What will become of the promises you made me?" Virginia wondered, breaking his train of thought. "Things such as what you said to me the other day? That you would be there for me forever?"**

"**I have not broken the promise yet." Jet replied. "I will return to you, Virginia." Jet drew a small scrap of paper from his coat pocket. It was brown and worn from years of handling. "Virginia, take this."**

**Virginia gently took the paper and looked at what was written on it. "What's this…coordinates or something?"**

**Jet slung a large brown boomerang over his back. "I'm going to go meet Norris now."**

"**You have to return to me!" She warned him as she clutched to his sleeve.**

**He stared into her eyes. "I'll do the best I can." Jet slowly moved his hands to the one that grabbed his coat. Softly he removed it from him. "Virginia." He spoke, knowing no right way to phrase a good-bye, and he left the deck of the boat as Virginia simply clung to the red book he had spent his entire childhood on. The scrap of paper crumpled in her hand.**

"Are you sure about this? He said not to follow." Adven questioned as he and Clive stood atop a rooftop. A cool night breeze coming off the water and freezing them.

Clive fixed his glasses as he watched Jet walk down the streets of Jolly Roger. "Jet might not want us there, but we will be regardless."

Adven scoffed. "I think I'm beginning to like the way you think."

"Think all you want, but let's go." Clive flicked his straw hat as he turned to Adven. With a running jump they continued on the roofs, following Jet.

"**An' what d'ya want to be Jet, when you grow up?" The modest thirty-year-old brunette of a teacher asked to the five-student class of Jolly Roger's schoolhouse.**

**The young ten-year-old Jet looked to the mature woman. "I want to be a cow when I grow up!" Jet proudly said. His proud posture was soon broken as three boys and the teacher began to laugh. The teacher trying to stifle it, but not. The young boy looked to his legs on the ground out of embarrassment.**

"**Hey! Stop that!" Amigone demanded from the side of the boy. "His choice should be no funnier than any of your own." She chastised as the three boys, including Norris, stopped because of her harsh tone. Amigone leaned over to Jet. "It's okay, Jet. They were just being ignorant." The young girl said to comfort the fragile boy. "Listen, a cow isn't what you should be. Y'know what, I'll be the cow so you don't have to." She softly spoke. "You are someone who is suited for a far more important job."**

"**I am?"**

**She nodded. "You bet! You're gonna grow up to be the man who saves me one day." Amigone gave him a soft, encouraging smile.**

**Jet stared at her for a moment. Absorbing her smile and words, gaining a smile as well. Somehow he had confidence swelling up in him now, all because of her. He puffed his chest proudly. "Right, I will do everything I can to save you if you are ever in trouble or suffering."**

"**Hey!" Norris interuppted. "I'm going to be the one who saves her." He argued. "You are too pathetic to do it."**

"**Nuh-uh! Take that back!" Jet demanded.**

"**I won't."**

"**Then I'll make you!" Jet lunged for the boy's shirt, but was caught by the teacher's slender hands.**

"**You two again?" She muttered. "What will I do with you?"**

The ruins of Jolly Roger created shadows on the ground due to the light of the silvery moon. Jet took soft steps upon the deep sand. His boots leaving memories behind in the form of footprints. All of the would be gone soon enough by the next rain or a few touches of wind. His heavy boomerang slung over his shoulder as his hands swung at his side. The twin tails of the scarf blowing in the wind behind him in a flurry of white and red. His face covered by the same fabric.

Coming to a halt, he looked ahead in the clearing that was surrounded by pieces of wall. "This is the place that we last saw one another, huh, Jet?" The calm voice of Norris spoke, as he flung his overcoat aside. His hair of brown placed on his head like a bush, poking out in all odd directions. His handsome face and jade green eyes illuminated by the full moon. His long brown coat and black cloth pants that was worn beneath the heavier overcoat. "Thor set out on a journey, along with his servant Thialfi…"

"…and also with Loki, as they went into Jotunheim." Jet finished. The two young men let out in a burst of laughter, but just as soon as it began, it ended. "Why must I die?" Jet wondered. "Not your reason why I should be killed, but rather the reason your boss wants me."

"I am owned by the Ark of Destiny now." Norris replied. "They want to wipe Filgaia clean of the sin that is the Filgaia Sample Project. Any Filgaia Sample made by the Council, except Sample Five are to be destroyed." He explained. "You are the last the Ark has to kill, aside from myself, Five, and the one they made, Sample Seven. They think the Yggdrasil Project can still be obtained, but only through Sample Five."

"So, Sample Two, are you the same Sample you used to be?" Jet wondered.

"Sample Two and Sample Seven are Filgaia Sample Type Beta." Norris simply said with no emotion. "As the war went on, the Council adapted me and Sample One, Three, and Four into weapons for war."

"So they went through with that?" Jet scoffed.

Jet remembered how when the Ark attacked the Council, the Council had told Elliot to alter the Filgaia Samples from beings made to use the planet's power to save it into beings who wield the power of Filgaia as weapons. His father refused. That was the reason he and Jet ran away soon enough. To get away.

"Yes, and the Filgaia Sample Zero is what the Ark wants." Norris explained. "They want the original. That way they can learn more about the project, in order to fully restore life to the planet."

"So…in other words, you want me dead, they don't care, but would rather have me living." Jet looked to his boots.

"How could you betray me?" Norris roared, causing Jet to look to the man. "How could you betray Amigone? Didn't you promise her like I did that you would save her?"

Jet looked startled. "Them…Amigone…really is alive then?"

"She is," Norris confirmed, "But she is not the Amigone you knew." Norris put his hands at his side. "You are being tailed."

"I know."

"Not to worry. Sample Seven will handle them." Norris remarked.

Adven and Clive looked to one another. "Does he mean us?" Adven wondered. Before Clive could respond another person joined them on the rooftop and hit Adven off the ledge. Clive jumps away as the man in the dark who is missing a left forearm lunged at him. Adven in the meantime lands on the ground, with Clive soon joining him. Before they can do anything else, their assailant comes down after them. Dodging the attacks, Adven and Clive move from the area Jet and Norris stood still.

The two old friends looked to one another with a pause. With no warning, Jet grabbed his boomerang and tossed it at the other man who jumped aside, leaving the boomerang to leave a shallow trench in the ground as it passed.

**Virginia followed the metal hallway, lit by a faint dim light about her. A part of her was afraid, and paranoia was setting in as her boots tapped against the metal floor. The swish of her dress being the only real sound in the abandoned, yet operational building. She stopped to take a breath as she looked at a map. With her other hand she looked at the slip of paper Jet had given her with coordinates on it.**

"**Why did Jet want me to go here?" She wondered with worry. The building seemed to be an elaborate, but outdated lab, built into the mountains just outside of Jolly Roger. She had no idea such a place was here, so close by, but it is.**

**The best she can tell, is that this place was set up by the Council of Seven long ago, but it now was held by the Ark of Destiny. She had to wonder though, what sort of things would the Council need this place for though, was what she wondered.**

**She stopped at a door with a name that had faded. Pressing a button the metal door slid into the wall, and afterwards she entered, with the door closing soon after. She glanced at the table that held many binders full of paperwork. One of which was labeled 'Filgaia Sample'. She flipped through the pages, reading what had gone on in this building.**

**She got tired and fed up with reading them after so long. Throwing them to the ground in the dark. Virginia found it hard to stomach the things that the Council and the Ark had done.**

**The worst thing of all was the man who approved it and started this. "How…could father okay such a thing?" She muttered, regretting the actions of her now dead father.**

**Needing more light in the room, Virginia went in search of a light switch. Finding a button, she presses it, as a green light takes the room. Slowly Virginia looked around the room, and suddenly she realized that the light was not green, but in fact the light was shining through a nearby window. Behind the window was a green liquid, which made the room she was in green. Once she saw behind the pane of glass though, she stepped back in disbelief and fell to her butt on the grated floor.**

"**Hello." A soft voice greeted Virginia. "May I ask who you are?"**


	4. Chapter 4

Sorrow. Pity. Pathetic. Pitiful. Such harmful words that are slung around by people without care. Words that should be thought about before said, but it is always too late. The words are uttered, often in wroth, and the one who receives the words often carries a shattered heart, that they will bandage over and let scar. After so many times, their hearts will just be a scar, and they will continue the process that destroyed their hearts unto others. This being the inverse of the concept of "paying it forward".

Traitor. Liar. Thief. Enemy. Evil-doer. Demon. Names that pierce another and make them gain weight on their soul. They deny these names or titles placed upon them. They are innocent. They always say that. And it is true, they are innocent, but that is only the first time. While they know themselves innocent, others will continue calling them these names, believing themselves right even when wrong. Eventually, the people who are falsely called these names will become what they are called. It is often that when a person is being punished for something they are not or have not done, that they go and decide to do the act, so at least then they can be guilty and feel at peace in their minds. The truth of the matter is that the people who give out these names to the innocent, are often enough, the true bearers of the name, that is, until the other finally succumbs to the false name and takes it, and then they switch roles. But the truth is, they only switch names on the outside, but on the inside they are slowly eaten away by the truth. The innocent becomes a liar, and the liar becomes innocent, but inside they know who was the true innocent and who was the true liar.

But these are just words. These are only names. Titles. In the end, it is the wielder of these words that decides what they mean. World is a word that is defined by the person themselves. And world is like any other word in any language. Any word can mean anything you want it to, and this is made clear when you place other words around them to make them different. "Does this not look different?" sounds in no way the same as "This doesn't look the same".

Thus is the power of words.

Chapter Four 

There was a guardian named Balder. He was the most loved of them all, for he is guardian of goodness as well as the most handsome around. The son of Odin and Frigg. Brother to Hoder, the blind guardian of darkness. Hearing prophecy that he was destined to die though, Frigg went to everything in the world and got it to promise to never harm Balder. Thus, he was invincible and impossible to kill. The other guardians made sport of this, often throwing things at him and watching them never harming him. But there was one in Asgard who disliked Balder and who was jealous of how handsome Balder was, and that was the frost giant who was blood brother to Odin, that being Loki.

In an attempt to find Balder's weakness, Loki disguised himself, since he could change his form, and found out what the one thing Frigg forgot to get to promise not to harm Balder. That was mistletoe, something Frigg thought would be nothing to worry about. With this knowledge Loki made a sort of arrow of a mistletoe sprig, and handed it to Hoder one day as the guardians were throwing items at Balder as usual. When Hoder hit his brother with the mistletoe, Balder immediately died.

Many grieved for him, and even his wife, Nanna, threw herself on his funeral pyre and died with his body. Odin sent Tyr to see Hel, the daughter of Loki and a giantess, as well as the guardian over the dead. She agreed that Balder could return if everyone in the world wept for him, and everyone did, except one old woman, who was really Loki is disguise. And Balder remained dead.

It was found that Loki was the cause of his death, and finally was punished by the other guardians after his long record of misdeeds against them. The sons he had with the guardian Sigyn, were turned to wolves, and one at the other. The dead son's intestines were chains that bound Loki to a rock, where a snake's poison would drip down on his face for all of time. His wife, ever loyal, held a cup to catch the poison though, but when Sigyn had to empty it, he would feel the pain of the poison acid on his face. This was when his shouts of pain would turn to earthquakes that shook the world.

After a long time passed, the event that the guardians knew about came to pass. It was called Ragnarok, "fate of the gods", and the events were known by all of the guardians, they were well aware of who would die, and who would be killed by whom, but being who they are, and that there is no death more honourable than that of death in battle, they went on with fate. It all began with three winters with no summers between them.

Conflict would break out, people will starve, and good will begin to vanish among the people. The wolf who had been chasing the sun since the beginning of time would finally catch his prey, and then another wolf will swallow the sun, purging the world into darkness as stars fade away. A strong earthquake follows, freeing Loki from his shackles, as well as his son, Fenrir, a wolf he had with a giantess that was fierce. There will be a loud crow that alerts the demons, guardians, and raise the dead. The Midgard serpent will rise in the seas and writhe about, making the sea lash out at the lands and his mouth will unleash a poison that will stain the earth and sky.

The demons will leave Jotunheim in their boat, headed for the battlefield in which the demons and guardians had first fought long ago. Another ship, with Loki in the lead, will set sail with the inhabitants of Hel as deadweight. The fire demons of Muspellheim, led by Surt, will tear apart the sky as they make their move to the ancient battlefield as well, leaving in their path flames that scorch the lands.

The guardians will wake, as Odin goes to take council with Mimir on behalf of his people. Yggdrasil, the giant ash tree that connects all of the lands together will shake as all lands shudder. The guardians prepare for battle and they will ride to meet with the demons on the battlefield called Vigrad.

Odin will ride straight to face off with Fenrir, and Thor will be unable to help as his old enemy, the Midgard Serpent attacks him. Frey is the first to fall in battle against Surt, because he had given his sword away to his servant long ago, but he will fight bravely before falling. Tyr is able to win against Garm, but is severely harmed in the fight. Heimdall and Loki will meet in battle, and the two will perish, being that they were evenly matched. Thor will kill the Midgard Serpent with Mjollnir, but will stagger back nine steps after and then die due to poison the serpent spews on him. Odin himself, with his mighty spear, Gungnir, will be eaten by Fenrir, whose jaws are so large they can scrape against the ground and the sky itself and still have more room. To avenge his fallen father, Vidar will immediately come forward and place one foot on Fenrir's lower jaw. On this foot is the shoe he has been making since the beginning of time. With one hand he will grasp the beast's upper jaw and tear it's throat asunder, killing it at last. As soon as this happened, Surt will burn the entire world, engulfing it in flames, and killing all manner of things. The world will be hit by the stars that once hung in the sky, and fire will cover all. Finally, the world will sink into the sea.

**Fires roared as screams went out all around the port town of Jolly Roger. The Ark of Destiny armies launching an attack on the town. Buildings falling apart and shattering from cannon attacks. Under the cloak of night many who were asleep in beds never had the chance to wake up. Those awake could only run out of fear and confusion, not knowing that it was the Council of Seven who damned them by breaking international laws.**

**As shouts of fear, panic, and despair covered the town, four bodies ran about the sandy streets intent on leaving. The ten-year-old boy named Jet was being led by his much older father, Eliot. The man with gray hair and moustache showing either his age or where Jet got his hair colour. Behind them were the equally as frightened forms of Norris and Amigone, who had already lost their homes and family.**

**Taking a break from their panicked run, Eliot rested against a still intact building in the town near to main street. "Listen," he said to the children, "You three are Filgaia Samples. Jet the prototype and Norris the second one. Amigone the last." He looked around nervously, watching for foot soldiers. "The Filgaia Samples are illegal because they have their genes manipulated and when they hit the right conditions someday, they will be able to use the ability to regenerate the planet. That is what I made you three into, but…you are more than just that. You are my son, Jet, and you two, are the same. You are humans. I won't let you three suffer for what I have done to you."**

**There was a silence. Jet placed his hand on his father's arm. "That's okay, we know you did it with the best intentions." The other two nodded in agreement.**

**Elliot stared at them, full up with emotion. He shook that away. They had little time. "Listen, the Council want to change you into weapons to destroy the Ark, and thus, end this war. We need to hide away from the Ark and the Council until this all blows over." The kids nod in understanding. "Okay, let's go."**

**The four of them begin to move again at a hurried pace among all of the destruction. There was a small sewer system—brand new—on main street, and if they could get into there, they would be safe and could leave Jolly Roger unnoticed. This is what Elliot told them as they started this trek to safety. They only had a long five blocks to go.**

**It was then that a gunshot rang out and Elliot hit the ground, hurt. "Dad!" Jet ran to his side and found the man hurt, but fine. Jet looked to the area nearby to find someone he knew. "Councilman Leehalt, what are you doing? Why did you hurt my dad?"**

**Leehalt laughed. "He's trying to make off with Council property." The man simply said as he stepped forward. "Pity, that was my last bullet." He noted as he tossed the ARM he carried aside. "I need you and your friends Jet, so why not be kind and come to me peacefully?"**

**Jet lifted his dad up on his shoulders. Amigone helping him put the older man there. Norris looked to Jet. "Jet, I'll distract this guy, you go on ahead."**

**Jet stared at his friend in question. It seemed like something he couldn't do. Leave a friend behind. While Norris and he had their differences, they were the best of friends, even if split up due to conflicting loves for Amigone. "I can't do that."**

"**Just do it!" Norris ordered as he launched his small body onto the upper portion of Leehalt, sending the two to the ground. Biting the older man, Norris then looked to the rest of his party with a serious look. "Jet, make sure Amigone is safe! I won't forgive you if you don't do that!"**

**Seeing that Norris would only have an advantage for little time, as Leehalt was already getting up, and had a firm hold on Norris, Jet looked to Amigone. The two of them nodded and Jet ran off dragging his father behind him with Amigone trailing behind.**

Jet dodged several vine-like protrusions that had whipped out at him from Norris' forearms. As a Beta-Type Filgaia Sample (or a war-machine Filgaia Sample) Norris had power of plant, earth, and water abilities. Not all had those three, and not all remained in human shape. Norris was just lucky. He became the ruthless killer the Ark wanted of him, and so they had no reason to ever harm him in anyway nor did thy to change his abilities to make him stronger. That was what happened to the others who were now dead. The Council or the Ark found they were not proving themselves as war-machines and kept trying to strengthen them and evolve them more. In the end, Samples One, Three, Four, and Six died that way.

Jet ran from one more final vine attack as his boomerang trailed, carried in his right hand. Norris finally stopped his assault. "And that is what I remember of our final night…my telling you to run as I attacked Leehalt. Pheh, I was glad the moment that I was ordered to kill him a year later by the Ark."

"Yeah, nice story." Jet mused. "I was there. I know it well. It is the only dream I have sometimes. The only nightmare."

"And Leehalt caught me. He caught me and the Council went on and changed me. Made me into this monster that has been attacking you." The vines retracted into his forearms as if nothing happened, but the sleeves he wore were torn up now. "I will make you suffer worse pains!"

Raising his arms a fissure formed in the earth as it headed for Jet, sprouting jagged chunks of earth upward. Jet moved aside the two chains of rocks, and they each connected and shattered when they met.

Jet paused. "That was true, the story you told me," He stood tall so Norris could see him. "But that wasn't the end to it…"

**The ten-year old with the name of Jet carried his injured father's body, running as fast as he could. He was strong, for a ten-year-old. Maybe it was a by-product of the Filgaia Sample treatment. Whatever the case was, he was strong enough to lift a grown man. It has been said that in times of distress a person's strength can intensify. Mothers can lift heavy items off of their babies. This may just be another case.**

**In the distance, Jet could see the sewer opening that he could use, and doubled his pace. Norris still in his mind. He felt guilty to leave his friend behind, but he understood that there was more important things going on. Norris made his own decision.**

**His ears heard the noise all around him, but they pinpointed to the one sound that was most important to him in this moment that seemed to get farther and farther behind him. The panting breath of the young female named Amigone. Even with his father on his back, he was far too fast for her to keep up with. He was at least ten feet ahead of the girl. The sounds of either Ark or Council troops behind her.**

**He made it to the sewer entrance, and flung the heavy iron circular door open wide. He had little time to play it cool. It was at that time that he heard a scuffle as a rock and foot touched, and then the following plop that would scatter dirt about the air. Jet was hoisting his father up and through the entrance just big enough for a body when he looked back in the direction he came. Amigone had tripped and fallen on her face fifteen feet away from him. The lights of the advancing enemy closing in on them. If they could get in the sewer, it would not matter. Jet knew enough about the city's design of the sewer and there was a gate that could be closed, thus giving him an hour lead on whoever would follow him.**

**It seemed like an eternity as Jet and Amigone stared at one another, but only seconds had passed. Time was running out for them. Could they really all get away? With Elliot Enduro injured as such, it was slowing them down. If Elliot were fine, Jet could easily go and pick up the girl he loved and they would all get away, but Jet needed to shove his father's body into the sewer. He would then need more time to get away. He was cutting it short as it is, and going back and then running with Amigone to the sewer again would put them behind schedule. They would all be caught.**

"**Amigone." He softly said, with uncertainty in his voice. Shouting all around them as the town burned.**

"**Go," Amigone began, and stopped to catch her breath. "Keep on going without me Jet!"**

"**What?"**

"**I'm not worth us all dying or whatever our fates will be!" She screamed over tears. "I want you to live most of all, Jet. I want you to live because it was you who let me. Go…because I want you to live."**

**Jet didn't respond, he took a breath, stuffed his father into the sewer, and followed after, shutting the heavy door just as the Council troops were coming. As Amigone was detained, Jet grabbed his father's body and ran through two short halls and through the gate. He kept on going, even though the Council soldiers were stopped at the gate. In a panic he finally fell, and dropped into the water.**

**Raising up, he wiped his tears away. "I…want to live too…" Was his guilty statement.**

"How…can you be so heartless, Jet?" Norris angrily asked. His forearms turned to rock and he fired them out like spikes, but Jet nimbly dodged each round. "And then…to make things worse," Norris continued his assault on Jet, now lashing out with various vine-like whips. "You go on to love another woman! Leaving Amigone like that!"

Jet slung his boomerang like a blade and whacked the vines away. "In either case, Amigone is dead now."

"Her hearts still beats as it calls out for you!" Norris declared. His maniacal emotion ravaging his body, showing itself in the way his eyes glared and shook about slightly. A twitch in one. His voice higher in pitch. "Through everything…through it all…I was by her side. I held her hand. I reached out to her to comfort her in her worst hours of pain." He bitterly spoke. All life seemed to fade away though. "But…she never cared about her pain. She never cried. She never screamed about the pain she must have felt. She always just spoke about how she was worried about you." Norris violently thrust his hand forward as vines stabbed Jet. Three in his left shoulder and one in his third rib on the right. Jet never flinched. "It was only you she ever wanted. Never me. And you were the one who leaves her behind. You decline her love for you and go on to love another! It's not fair to me! It's not fair to Amigone!"

It was silent for a moment as blood left the wounds that the four vines still inhabited on Jet's body. "But…life is unfair. It never is unfair in your favor. That's just how life is." He remarked softly. "Is it fair for me to take responsibility for the things that I never asked to be a part of? Is it fair to be blamed for things I never wished happen?" Jet questioned. "It isn't…but I accept it anyway because I know no one else will." He looked softly at Norris' eyes, which slowly calmed as he watched Jet. "If I could do everything I wanted…everything that I wished…then trust me…your life would be fair and so would Amigone's…but I can't do that. I don't have that power. I don't have the power to grant my wishes!"

Norris stood there for a moment, as the vines leave Jet's body. "And that is why you die."

"**I ask of you again…who are you?" The soft voice echoed.**

**Colored green by the light, Virginia picked her body off the ground, but that did not relieve the numb feeling she was having looking at what she did now. She felt bile swirling in her stomach.**

"**I…I am Virginia Maxwell."**

"**Oh, Virginia?" The voice questioned. "I like your name. Welcome Virginia." The voice said in a sing-song manner.**

**Virginia took a step closer to the glass pane that went unnoticed earlier due to no light on the other side. Still, she had to wonder why this person never saw her. "And, who are you?" Virginia wondered. She had a feeling, but what she saw right now…**

"**Me? Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners." The voice giggled. "One should say their own name before asking, and I did wrong."**

"**It's no problem."**

"**I have not used my name in so very long, but when I did use it, people called me Amigone."**

**Virginia tensed up. She did not want to believe that the young woman her age she was watching on the other side of the glass was Amigone. She remembered Jet's picture though. The one with Amigone in it. Virginia had studied it shortly while no one was watching, once Clive had brought it up at lunch. The short raven hair that fluttered in the green water that surrounded Amigone had been the only real feature to notice. Other than that, there was a woman who stood surrounded by a green liquid, with no signs of manner to get air to her. Virginia thought, maybe now she could believe the myths about mermaids, seeing a woman breathe in water for real. The face of Amigone was obscured by shadow, impossible to make out. The body was covered in pale skin and was barren, showing no clothes. Just the ample bosoms of a twenty-year-old girl. What made Virginia cringed though, was the fact that Amigone's arms were no longer arms really. They just looked like stretched out tubes of skin that attached to a machine. The lower portion of Amigone's body disappearing into shadow so Virginia could not make her legs out—if Amigone had them at all still.**

**This is Amigone. This is the girl that Jet loved, and may still love. Virginia thought that over many times.**

"**Virginia, why are you here?" The sweet voice of Amigone wondered. "It is not common for me to have visitors, at least ones like you."**

"**I," Virginia swallowed some spit and closed her eyes. "I was told to come to this facility by…by Jet."**

"**Jet?" Amigone questioned. "Jet Enduro?" She wondered again. It was suddenly silent as some air bubbles floated to the top. "Jet has finally come! I have waited so long for he and I to be together again!" She said with a sudden excitement. "I've been yearning for he and I to play games just like so long ago."**

"**Oh, is that so?" Virginia wondered, but Amigone seemed to ignore her, caught up in her fantasies instead.**

**Virginia decided against talking to Amigone until after the woman was calmed. Looking to a nearby desk Virginia noticed a manila folder she did not see earlier in the darker room. She found on its tab the name Amigone, and so with curiosity, opened it up. The fifth, and only female Filgaia Sample that the Council of Seven had created. By the fifth creation the idea was made that males would not do as the Filgaia Sample. In order to recreate life, one would need the power of one who can create life, which was a woman. That was the summary of what Virginia found, and so she flipped the page. So far, the Ark and Council however have not done what they wish with her. The machine she was equipped to was supposed to let her use a power to revive the planet, but the end result was that she could keep the world as it was, and make sure none of it decays any further. The Yggdrasil Project ended as a failure in most of the Ark's eyes after they adopted it from the Council, because the goal they set out on was not completed at all. That was why Amigone was all-but-forgotten about, as well as this facility. They keep it running to prevent further decay, but only come around every so often. **

"**Virginia?"**

**The brunette placed the folder down, looking to the woman in the green liquid. "What is it?"**

"**I…I am very saddened by this."**

"**About Jet? Why?"**

"**For so long…I have waited to see him again…but I no longer can see him." The movement of her head allowed Virginia to see that in fact, Amigone had no eyes to speak of really. There was only skin. Now she knew why Amigone had not noticed her. "I can't even…feel Jet any longer. From my spot all I can do is hear his voice. I am sure that it has changed…I wonder what it sounds like now." She paused. "Virginia, how is Jet?"**

"**I…I really don't know." Virginia replied, thinking to how right now, for all she knew, Jet could be dead.**

Adven rolled across the dirt, causing it to burst up around him into the air. Clive drew a small cane from inside his coat as he watched the man in front of him casually walk towards them.

The man who had assaulted them was a one-armed samurai, with his black hair tied up into a knot, and a scar on his left eye. His tanned skin covered over by the dark of the night. His left hand lightly held his katana at his side.

"I finally have the power to destroy the easiest of flies." The man muttered with a gravelly voice. "They don't let me kill enough, but when I can, I like to cherish it the most I can."

Clive placed his hand on the top of his cane. "That's a rather pathetic desire." He commented. "A foolish reason to continue living."

The man scoffed. "My name is Shinotori. The Ark has named me Filgaia Sample Seven, but I much prefer the title of "Killing Wind"."

"Why, are your farts that bad?" Clive muttered.

"Blasphemy!" Shinotori snapped, infuriated. "I was going to go easy on you two, but now you will suffer the full blunt of my wrath."

Adven had finally gotten his body up. "Good going, Clive." He lamented.

"He has one arm, and we have four." Clive simply said.

Angered to his max by how Clive was underestimating him, Shinotori launched his body forward and swung his katana at the still Clive. Clive moved the hand that was at the top of his cane, and it seemingly grew longer and blocked Shinotori's attack. The sound of metal on metal echoing in the decimated ruins of Jolly Roger. Shinotori withdrew himself from the man. "I see, a shinobi-sue type blade." The samurai noted.

Clive drew the rest of the blade out from the wooden cane sheathe that had hidden his weapon. "I have two goals left in my life before I go on back home to Humphrey's Peak to an arranged marriage. Those two goals are simply to protect my friends as well as meet and defeat one strong opponent." Clive remarked. "I have found you to be that opponent. You should feel honored."

Shinotori let out a laugh. "It pleases me to know that I will make someone a widow before she even weds." With that his body catapulted at Clive again who deflected his attack away. Adven was quick to back away from the fighting, confused as to what he should do. The two with blades stepped back from one another. "After I kill you, I will have to find my way to Humphrey's Peak to kill the woman as well." The two launched forward again, clashing metal against metal three times, each blocking the other's attacks. Shinotori went with a thrust-attack that Clive sent away from his body by throwing his blade at its side.

"Even Catherine could kill you." Clive mused; slashing at Shinotori's left side, cutting off the empty sleeve that hung from Shinotori's shoulder. With a side-kick Clive knocked the man backward.

Adven realized that Clive probably would not need his help. Jet did though, and he promised that he would help Jet. Now was his time to come through on that, and so he turned from the fight so he could make his way back to Jet.

"Not so fast!" With a swing of his katana, Shinotori had sent out a blade of air that shattered the ruins around them, cutting off Adven's path. "You will die by my hand as well." He looked to Clive. "I bet you were surprised by my attack. It's what the Ark has bestowed upon me. The power of the winds of Filgaia. Let you feel the power of your own planet destroy you!" With a step forward a blade of wind flew for Clive who dodged aside, but a second attack made him move aside again. The ground blowing into the air as the blades hit.

Before Clive could react, Shinotori had closed in, slashing at Clive's left arm. Clive had moved his body free from the attack, but still caught a piece. The clothing on his arm tore away as his skin was broken. Shinotori sent a kick as his next attack that sent Clive into a ruined wall. A thrust of his katana pinning the glasses-wearing man to the same wall, pinned at the area below his right shoulder.

From behind though, Adven had approached and sent a fist to Shinotori's face. Ripping his blade from Clive's body, the samurai left the two behind. Adven did not let up and stepped further in a lunge to grab the clothing Shinotori wore. With the fabric in hand, Adven drew the samurai's body towards him and gave three more punches with his free hand.

Shinotori struck Adven's jaw with the hilt of his blade, freeing him from the brunette's grasp. Quickly he gave a counterattack in the form of a wind blade. In defense, Adven put up his arms, but the attack still flung him away only to land fifteen feet later on the sand.

In this time Clive swung his blade at Shinotori, creating a diagonal slash across the samurai's chest. Clive stood showing no signs of pain as Shinotori clutched the wound on his chest where light blood flow began. He saw that Clive did not even bat an eye in his pain, and wanted to upstage the man by not showing his own pain, but it seemed impossible. Shinotori did not understand how Clive could stand there before him showing no sign of pain whatsoever. But the blood that flowed from the wound he inflicted on Clive was apparent.

**A burst of ground flew about Jet's head as pointy rock "missiles" fired from Norris' arms missed him by inches as he dodged about them. Jet had thought it about time to show what he was worth. What he could do. Drawing his ARM he shot out at Norris who was hit in the shoulder by the bullet. The two froze.**

"**The Aigert-Lahm B/V 2?" Norris muttered.**

"**Yeah, the weapon only I can use." Jet replied.**

"**Who needs such a piece of junk?" Norris put his hand in his shirt, withdrawing a gun that was Jet's equal except it was blood red in color. "This is the Aigert-Lahm B/V 3. Made for me long ago by the Council to use before they equipped me with the powers I've shown before now."**

"**It's not original like mine." Jet simply said, taking aim. Norris met his move. The two moved as they fired off rounds at the other. In a circle they ran, each trying their best to get a shot in. Suddenly a rock formation swelled in the earth, causing Jet to trip, in this moment Norris shot Jet full of three rounds of lead.**

**Plopping to the ground as blood sputtered from the wounds as bullets enter, Jet gritted his teeth in pain. Norris stopped his run to grin as Jet lied face-down on the ground looking over his wounds. One shot in his shoulder, the other in his thigh, and one more that grazed his right arm. He should be fine, Jet found. "That was cheap…putting that rock there.**

"**What are my powers for if not to win?" Norris chuckled.**

"**You used to gloat that you were better than me. If you use something like that…"**

"**I still am your better." Norris remarked, tossing his Aigert-Lahm aside. He no longer needed it. "You can't do that, after all. Every fight we ever started was ended by someone. This is the first time we've ever actually fought."**

"**I know…but back then…you would have always beaten me."**

"**No, not just back then." Norris corrected. He stopped just above Jet's fallen form. "Even now."**

**Jet rolled onto his back. "No, not now." Jet remarked. He formed balled fists and drew his arms back. "Positive!" He flung his balled fists upward. "Cannon," his palms broke so all four fingers and thumb would be spread. "Fire!" The yellow attack the radius of his body width from shoulder to shoulder burst forth from his hands. The beam of yellow positive energy hit Norris dead-on, who was taken surprise by the attack. The force of the attack flinging the Filgaia Sample Beta up into the air. As the beam attack flew past and into the night sky, Norris' body fell back to the earth ten feet away from Jet.**

**With a groan Jet stood up, using his good leg to start with. He looked to Norris' fallen form. Slowly, Norris shrugged off the attack and the drop to the ground, and stood himself up on his feet. "That was…interesting." He remarked.**

"**Just something I picked up on…thanks to a real friend."**

"**Pheh. Regardless…it will not stop me." Norris dusted his body off with a shake. With rapid movement he once more had struck Jet with his vine appendages, digging into Jet. This time four of them from his extended right arm had burrowed into Jet's body. One in his unharmed shoulder, his chest at the collar, his left elbow, and his gut near to his gall bladder. "Like the vines of this earth, I will absorb life from you, and put you away for good."**

"**How little you think of me." Jet laughed. "There has always been one thing that I do better than you, Norris."**

"**And what is that?"**

"**Be what I am." With those words, the vines in Jet's body violently erupted, following them all the way back to Norris' arm which exploded apart as well, leaving Norris with his one left arm.**

**Clutching his right shoulder, where the violent reaction stopped, Norris breathed through his teeth in pain. His howl already distant. He had finally calmed after a moment, with the pain still lingering with him. "How…How did you do that?"**

"**I am the prototype and original Filgaia Sample. I will always be a better Filgaia Sample than you." Jet explained coldly. "There is one more thing I am that makes me better than you…I am a better friend. I will not kill you Norris. You are my friend, even now. I wish you still thought so as well." Jet turned his back on Norris' fallen body. "But…like I said earlier…I can't get what I wish."**

**With those parting words, Jet left the fallen body behind. Norris fell to his knees clutching his arm harder to stop the pain.**

Clive and Shinotori remained staring at one another in silence. Adven watched from the sides. Even Adven knew of Clive's pain, but he could not understand why the bespeckled man did not stop and let him take over.

Clive had left his home in Humphrey's Peak long ago. He was to take part in an arranged marriage with a woman named Catherine, but the truth was…it was too early for him to settle down like that. He barely knew the woman. Regardless, he had too much honor to not deny that he had liked her enough when he did meet with her. Still, he told the families that before he gets married, he would first have to fight an equal opponent, as well as for him to gain two friends whom he would die for.

He was a lone wolf. He knew he would never meet two people he would die for. Not only that, he was also very strong, and he had thought he would never meet an opponent with his strength. But then he met Jet, who gave him a challenge in a fight. Still, when it all came down to it, Jet was not an enemy, so the gray-haired man did not qualify as an opponent. Then he had to join Jet and Virginia, and in the end, they became the two friends he said he would have to find first. He had hoped that the opponent would not show up. But when he saw Norris, suddenly he did want to fight someone his equal. Maybe he was finally ready to give in to his fate and get married. Settle down and start some family. Take over the family business. Maybe he even wanted to.

And that was why Clive stood here now holding his weapon in anticipation of an attack from his one-armed enemy. That attack did come, and in a graceful movement Clive moved around it so as to strike at the man's backside. Shinotori was too agile for that, and moved away from Clive's counter.

A wind blade caused Clive to raise his blade, blocking the attack's effect. The two charged forward and slung their blades at one another creating another sound of metal-upon-metal that night. Then another two. Followed up by three more. Neither of the two could get any attacks in on the other.

A wind blade aimed at the ground between them sent Clive off-guard, and he just barely made it in time to see Shinotori's attack and block it. Before he could begin again, the samurai sent his head colliding with Clive's own, sending the man's glasses aside. Clive staggered back to recover as he got his bearings straight. He had to now adjust his eyesight for the blurring he saw. Little did he know that he was about to be run through once more.

"Negative Cannon, Blast!" Adven declared, sending the one-armed samurai through a wall in time to save Clive from his early fate.

Clive took the chance and as Shinotori recovered and stood from the ground, Clive swung his blade, slicing off the head of the samurai. As a head rolled across the sand, a body fell down to paint it crimson.

Clive panted as he succumb to his pain and collapsed to his knee in agony. Adven came over to him, holding old something that bounced the moon's light off of it. "Glasses."

"Thanks. Again."

"No problem."

"**And that…is what Jet has been up to?" Amigone wondered.**

**Virginia nodded as she sat in a chair she found. "As much as he has told me. He doesn't…open up about enough."**

"**He never has." Amigone agreed. "He has never wanted to admit anything that bothers him. But I always knew what did. It is too easy to see through him."**

**Virginia frowned. It was not always so easy for her. It took all her power to figure Jet out. Before Virginia could think any more than that though, the door opened and she froze, thinking an enemy had come. She turned quickly to find Jet without his coat, wearing his two scarves and a bloody white T-shirt and long khaki shorts. That was what was hidden by his coat?**

**Virginia stood as Jet stepped towards her. Knowing he had seen Amigone by now. "I…Jet, I'm sorry."**

**Jet looked at her briefly, but it seemed like he did not even see her. He walked past her, and touched the glass between him and Amigone. "Can you hear me, Amigone?"**

"**Jet? Is that you Jet? You…you sound older."**

"**It has been ten years."**

"**Yes, I know. I wonder, do you look older as well?"**

"**I do. But I look a lot like I did as a boy. You can imagine what I would look like, right?"**

"**I have been for a decade." She confirmed.**

"**I have…thought what you would look like when we got older. You look just as beautiful as I had thought you would."**

"**Oh, thank you, Jet." She replied with a voice of embarrassment. She could not blush, but she would. "Your voice…you sound so handsome."**

**Jet had not changed his emotionless features though. "I am. Virginia should have told you that."**

"**She didn't speak much of that."**

"**Don't worry. I'm sure it slipped her mind."**

**Even though they spoke of her, Virginia found she had no place in the conversation as she stood further and further away. It seemed like Jet was so far out of her reach now. She fell in love with someone she could never be with. She felt like a fool.**

"**Jet, you are hurt?" Amigone wondered.**

"**A bit." Jet replied. "Norris and I fought again…without you there to stop us."**

**She looked disappointed. "You two…always have to fight and compete…I wish you wouldn't."**

"**We won't soon, Amigone."**

"**That's good."**

"**Amigone…I want to give you your life, just like you gave me mine, ten years ago."**

"**That's alright Jet. I'm sure I told you, that you already had. Long ago. You gave me a life by breaking the loneliness of my youth."**

"**But that isn't enough to repay you." Jet replied. His hand rose, with the Aigert-Lahm B/V 2 in hand. He used the butt of it to strike the glass. Once. Twice. Thrice. The glass finally cracked and the water burst through, shattering the rest of the window as green liquid swarmed the room, swamping the machines in it.**

**The machines sputtered around Jet with electric discharge. Jet took no notice, but Virginia was frightened. The lights went dark around them. The electricity having overloaded. The emergency power lights of a red hue took the room, making it look like everything was covered in blood.**

**When chaos had ended, Jet stepped through the window, entering the tank Amigone now lied at the bottom of. Jet stepped across the shallow water left behind as he made his way to her limp body on the floor.**

**Taking a knee, he lifted her body up to his. Caressing the upper body in his arms, while giving her the same emotionless look. "I…I can feel you, Jet. After so long…to feel you…again."**

"**Yes, I must be warm to you." Jet commented. Her body was cold. He looked to the stretched skin arms that looked like globs of skin, attached to machine. Jet understood what the idea was overall. "Amigone, you are free from the Council…from the Ark."**

"**And now I can be with you again."**

"**Yes, you can be with me again."**

"**And we will play with Norris as well, right?"**

"**Yeah, he will be there too."**

"**And Virginia can come along as well. The more people, the more fun, correct?"**

"**Yes, Virginia will be welcomed." Jet sat there a moment, taking in Amigone's beautiful face. "We…we…we will…be happy again."**

"**Will we get married?"**

"**Amigone, we will do anything you dream of. What is it you dream of?"**

"**Oh, Jet, what I dream?" She moved her head to seem as if she were looking far off somewhere in thought. The truth was that she still could not see. "You and I, will wed, and we will have a home, just here in Jolly Roger, and we will have children, a boy and a girl."**

"**A boy and a girl? What will we name them?"**

"**Name them?" Amigone muttered. "I always thought that Elliot after your father and Rhea, after my mother, would be perfect names."**

"**Yeah, they sound perfect."**

"**I also thought, that we would have a dog, named Thor, because he was always your hero."**

"**Yes, he was."**

"**And, we would spend many happy hours on the porch, watching our children play with Norris' children, as well talked of the old days and watched the beautiful sunsets."**

"**That sounds wonderful."**

"**Yes, that is what I dream of."**

"**Amigone, I will give you that. I will." Jet moved his hands to her face. Moving a bang out of the way as he caressed her cheek.**

"**Would you kiss me, Jet?"**

"**I will." Jet moved his face to hers', taking her lips.**

**Virginia stared at the couple. Some reason…there was something wrong. It was not that her heart was slowly cracking. There was something wrong with her stomach. A gut feeling in her told her to rip Jet away from the woman he kissed right now. Not because of a feeling of jealousy. There was some other reasoning. She just did not know what though.**

**Then she knew.**

**Jet's hands grasped at Amigone's neck tightly. The young woman's breath immediately stopping. Jet parted his lips from his childhood love and strangled her with more force until the woman's neck snapped. Jet stopped when all life seemed gone from the woman, and gently placed her on the ground where he had picked her up. Jet stood on his feet and turned to the mortified Virginia.**

**They stared for what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them saying a word. Virginia could not believe the actions of the man she loved. He killed her showing no emotion at all. But her eyes always fell back on the smile that Amigone wore in death. Virginia had never seen a smile from her in life like that. Was that because Jet kissed her, or because Jet killed her?**

**Before either of the two could speak, the door slid open, as a wild Norris staggered in, bleeding on the floor from his right arm. Virginia moved out of the way as his eyes met with Jet. Norris swiftly looked down to the floor by Jet where the prone Amigone lied.**

"**You…"**

"**I did." Jet immediately replied. No emotion at all.**

"**How…How could you?"**

"**With a strangle and a snap." Jet simply spoke.**

**Norris' remaining hand became a fist. "You were everything in the world to her! How could you kill her? How could you take her away from me? She was…she was everything to me? How can you say you ever loved her?"**

"**I did this…because I do love her." Jet explained.**

"**Bullshit!" Norris declared, sending a rock formation from his remaining left arm, aimed at Jet, who moved aside, letting the rock spike stab the wall of the tank on the other side. Norris looked wild-eyed at Virginia. "You…You're the one he loves! You will die just like Amigone!"**

**Jet fired his ARM off, shooting Norris in the chest and stopping any attack on the brunette woman. "She may be the woman I love, but she will not be killed by you. Norris, if you want your revenge, kill me now."**

"**Yes, you." Norris turned his attention back to Jet.**

**Virginia stood in a daze. Somehow, she believed Jet. When he said that he loved her. He was telling the truth.**

"**Virginia, leave here right away." Jet demanded, grabbing her attention. "Find Adven and Clive, and get away from here."**

"**Jet…"**

"**Just do it!" He demanded.**

**Norris ripped apart the wall divider between the room and the large tank Jet and Amigone were in. Virginia looked at Jet's seriousness and nodded. She left the room in a hurry, with her braid trailing behind.**

**Jet turned his full attention on Norris. "You…are a liar!" Norris declared. "A traitor. I was right! I was always right about you! I should have…I should have killed you! But I didn't…"**

"**Because I am your friend." Jet replied knowing it to be true.**

"**Yes!" Norris roared, ten vines lashing out from his left arm as they went about the place, shattering machinery and the likes. The machines sputtered with flame and electricity, catching on fire and erupting. "But I won't make that mistake again!"**

"**Norris…you will always be a friend to me." Jet simply said, dodging a vine attack that tore apart the machine Amigone was hooked up to. A loud eruption from the other end of the lab shook the room. The machine Amigone had been equipped to was hooked up with the rest of the lab. Norris had just started a chain reaction that would mean the end of the laboratory. The sounds of destruction got louder as did the flames as Jet dodged around more attacks from Norris. "I did love Amigone! That was why I killed her!"**

"**That makes no sense!" Norris fumed, striking at his ex-friend with rage, destroying more equipment as the blood loss was beginning to catch up with him.**

**Finally the machines all over burst forth and spewed fire. The room was lit aflame as Jet dodged one more attack. "Norris, we could have been happy in another life." He simply said, swinging the boomerang he still carried, and destroying the ceiling between he and Norris. The debris blocked the distance between he and Norris. With one last moment, Jet grabbed up the body of Amigone, and used what material he could to leave through the hole he made in the roof.**

**Second later, the lab burst with consecutive explosions shaking it to it's frame. The early morning's moon being not enough to hide the demise of the lab from the citizens of Jolly Roger any longer.**


	5. Chapter 5

Love. So many versions of love exist out there. There is the love you have for a brother or sister. What love you have for a mother and father. Your grandmother. The love you have for a friend. The love you have for the woman or man you have. All of this love, what is it? All it is said to be is a strong feeling for another. Love has so many ways to show itself. From hugs, and notes, to just simple looks.

But the strongest love is that of the love one has for their friends. From the earliest days, this is all there is. For years and years this goes on. There will always be the love between two friends. Finally though, it will be replaced. A person eventually gets older. The love for a friend becomes of lesser concern and instead the love for a woman or man becomes the most important thing to people.

Chapter Five 

Though after the battle, the world is destroyed, a new and far better one will rise. The land of the guardians named Asgard will have been spared, and the sun that had been eaten by Skoll will give birth to a new daughter that is even better, just before she dies. The sons of Odin, Thor, and similar guardians will have survived the end of the world, and will be joined by the dead guardians, such as Balder, and be the guardians over this new world. But with lack of any other life, they will sit in Valhalla and talk over the past and play with the golden chessboard they had found.

However, deep within Yggdrasil, two humans who had sought refuge still lived. The man, Lif, and the woman, Liftharsir, will have escaped Surt's fire. They will go into the new world and repopulate it, all of them worshiping the new pantheon of guardians who were led by Balder.

The new world had only peace and harmony, and only good existed from then on.

The blackened wreckage of the lab outside of Jolly Roger smoldered with some remaining smoke. The fires having essentially died out aside from a few weak ones. The building having since crumbled into the ground and become a ruin much like that of the old Jolly Roger.

In the blackened building, a scuffling of feet was heard. In a staggering and weak walk, Jet carried Amigone's body through the destroyed hall. His face only showing agitation of his wounds. The corpse of his childhood love in his arms as he staggered to the place he intended to find. He looked down on the floor.

"I…understand now." Norris spoke, his body blackened by the fire and his hair burnt. His body near lifeless as the lower portions of it were covered by heavy metal and rock. "I understand why you did this to Amigone." Jet had trouble looking at his friend, but he had to. "You did it so she could be at peace. Just like…how I…feel now." Norris' weaker sounding voice trailed off. He laughed weakly. "You loved her after all. You never betrayed her…you made what amends you needed to make."

Jet watched his friend as Norris breathed the final breaths of his life. "I knew the outcome before hand. I knew I would return here to Jolly Roger…and what would happen…but I thought that I would die as well." Jet scoffed as a smile took his face. "I almost kidded myself thinking that we all could be happy again."

"Jet…I will protect Amigone now. You came through…on your promise…to protect her when she needed help and was in pain…suffering." His head rolled out of weakness. "I can be with her after."

"Amigone knew I loved Virginia." Jet commented. "But she could not let go of her love for me that easily. A part of her loved me still, but I am certain…that you would have had her eventually." Jet stood there holding the woman in his arms. "I'm sorry."

"You…have no reason…to be…you…can't come through…with all your wishes…you said that…yourself."

"You're right."

"I'm the one…who is…sorry."

"I forgive you."

"Th—"

Jet watched for a moment in silence. The inhale and exhale process of Norris' body not continuing. Slowly the gray-haired man bent down, placing Amigone's body next to the man. On bent knee, he watched the two on the ground.

"What am I to do now?" He wondered, as if asking them. "Who should I be? What is left for me?"

Jet's ears went to the sound of rubble being shifted aside. The sound of boots on charred ground. He looked to the woman with brunette hair that he loved. They stared at one another for a moment. Finally, Virginia broke the silence, "I love you…as well." Jet stood up to see her. "In the end, after the guardians and demons fought…the world was reborn."

Without reply, Jet walked forward, slowly accelerating in his speed to cover the ten feet between him. He finally ended, wrapping his arms around the woman. The embrace being joined by Virginia as well.

"When we all…do…disband, and go our separate ways…I will remain with you." He spoke into her hair. "Until the end."

"Amigone?"

"I have saved her now." His words comforted her. "I have come through with my promise…to return to you."

"You have." She closed her eyes.

"Virginia…I would lie if I did not say that while I loved Amigone, it's you who I love now."

"I know."

"She will always be with me."

"I understand."

"But…it was you who I want to be with, I decided that even before coming to Jolly Roger."

"I know, Jet. You don't have to explain it to me."

The two broke back to look at one another. Their eyes met for the first time since Jet had killed Amigone. Leaning forward, Jet caught her lips in their first kiss. The two broke once their breaths were out. Staring at one another in silence.

"We have to go now." Jet remarked. "Before the Ark arrives."

She nodded her head in understanding as the morning sun broke over the horizon.

Jet and Virginia stood on the sacred ground of the Jolly Roger cemetery. The place where the ones who died when the city was attacked were buried. The sun had reached noon, as Jet finished shoveling dirt back into the graves he had dug up. The graves of Norris and Amigone that were empty were now filled.

"What happens now?" Adven wondered, as he and Clive approached the two. The four of them looking down on the graves.

"Filgaia will die." Jet simply said. "Over the next decade the world will decay further, and eventually die. People will live on though. We do not give up on life that easily." Jet turned away from the graves. "We should not concern ourselves with such things, and rather instead go on with life. The world will be reborn one day…after all."

"Uh…I was asking more about what we do now, not the world." Adven remarked. "But, thanks for the more in-depth perspective."

Clive fixed his glasses. "What happens now is irrelevant. What happened in the past does not matter at all."

Jet shrugged. "I guess the only thing to do now is leave our pasts behind and get on with our lives." Jet simply spoke. "I hear there's gella to be made in the west."

Clive put a hand to his chin. "I guess I have it in me to protect you one more time."

"And I always wanted to see the west." Adven added.

Virginia grabbed Jet's hand. "I'm going to make us all the largest lunch I can, and after, we will head onward with our lives."

Jet nodded. "Let's go."

The four began a walk back for the harbor. Their pasts determined, but their future uncertain.


End file.
